Shoe and shoe heel



i' Sept 2, 1941-'` A. cocozELLA sHoE AND sHoE HEEL Filed May 7, 1940 2ASheel2S-Sheefl 1 ivi/5mm? Sept. 2, 1941.

A. cocozELLA SHOE AND SHQE HEEL Filed May 7, 1940 2 sheets-smeet 2 Patented lSept. 2,1941 A SHOE AND SHOE HEEL Anthony Cocozella, Lynn, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Borough of Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 7, 1940, Serial No. 333,793

(Cl. :i6- 2.5)

8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in shoes and to improvements in heels for shoes.

As herein illustrated the invention is embodied in a shoe having a heel which extends forwardly throughout the full length of the shank portion of theshoe bottom. Shoes of this type are commonly known as wedge heel" shoes because of the wedge-like shape of the heel and its appearance of being wedged between the bottom of the shoe and the outsole and heels of this type are commonly known as "wedge heels. It is also characteristic of such shoes as heretofore made that the bottom of 'the shank portion of the heel is flat and in line with the lower surface of the rear part of the heel and that the .shank portion of the outsole lies Ain the same plane as the portions beneath the heel and the ball of the shoe. While such shoes present a stylish and attractive appearance, it has been found that under certain conditions kof use, as for example when a person wearing the shoe is walking'up or down stairs or upon rough ground and the flat shank portion of the outsole is brought forcibly against the edge of a stair tread, or upon a stone or other protuberance upon the ground, the shoe is quite liable to slip or skid and the wearer is likely to be more or less seriously injured.

One object of the present invention isto pro vide a shoe of this general type which will have the desired stylish appearance of a wedge heel shoe but which nevertheless will have no tendency to slip or skid under any ordinary conditions of use but which will be as safe to wear as shoes of a more conventional design.

To the accomplishment of this object I have provided a shoe having a wedge heel the lower surface of the shank portion of which is elevated a substantial distance above thelower surface of the rear part of the heel, and the outsole of which is so disposed as to present a tread surface only in the forepart -of the shoe. As herein illustrated the elevated lower surface in the shank portion of the heel slopes upwardly and rearwardly from the break line or junction of the shank with the forepart of the shoe bottom. and a substantially upright shoulder extends downwardly from the rear of this sloping heel surface to the bottom of the rear part of the heel, thus forming a heelbreast face and defining the forward edge of a top-lift-receiving face which is in approximate horizontal alinement with the ball portion of the shoe bottom. As illustrated, also, the shoe has a short outsole which extends rearwardly only as far as the breast face of the heel at the opposite sides of the shoe and, in order to insure that the shank portion of the outsole will be securely held in place beneath the shank portion of the wedge heel, a centrally disposed tab extends rearwardly from the shank portion of the outsole and is received within a slot or notch formed in the heel breast. In order to provide for positively securing in place the narrow marginal portions of the short outsole at opposite sides of the tab I prefer to form a heel breast covering flap as an integral part of the outsole andA to secure this ap, as by means of cement, to the breast face of the heel. The use of such a breast covering sole ap not onlyv accomplishes the above ob- Ject but also adds materially to the stylish and distinctive appearance of the shoe.

.The above and other features of the invention Wlll appear more fully from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a shoe embodyl2 for underlying the heel end of a shoe and a wedge-like forward extension I4 adapted to be interposed between the shoe bottom and the outsole in the shank portion of the shoe. The upper or attaching face i6 of the heel is adapted to seat directly upon the insole and the overlasted margin of the upper of the shoe and is so shaped as to be coextensive with the entire area of the heel and shank portions of the shoe bottom and to conform to the longitudinal and'transverse curvatures thereof. The forward or shank portion I4 of the heel is cut away or shaped to provide a rearwardly and upwardly sloping surface I8 to which the shank portion of a short outsole is 'to be secured so that this portion of the outsole will be elevated relatively to the ball pcrtion thereof to provide clearance for any obstructions or rough or projecting surfaces which may be encountered in walking. The rear part l2 of the heel extends downwardly a substantial distance below the rear portion of this sloping face I8 and is formed with a at lower or toplift-receiving face 20 and a substantially vertical shoulder or low breast face 22, the latter extending from the forward edge of the face 20 to the real' extremity of the sloping surface I8. A slot 24 is cut in the upper portion of the breast face 22 for receiving the rear extremity of the outsole of the shoe so that the latter will be positively held or locked in place. As shown, the slot 24 is formed with an arcuate bottom wall 25, this formation enabling the slot to be readily cut by means of a rotary cutting tool. In order to avoid weakening of the heel the slot is so formed that its opposite end portions are spaced inwardly from the lateral edges of the heel breast l5 so that the slot does not extend to the side faces of the heel. A covering 26 of lea-ther, Celluloid or other suitable material may be applied to the heel and preferably secured in place thereon by means of cement, the cover being cut and applied so as to cover the rear and sides of the heel, including the sides of the wedge-like shank portion or extension 20, and having marginal portions 28 which are overlapped upon the edge portions of the attaching face I6, the top-liftreceiving face 20, the breast face 22 and the sloping lower surface I8 of the heel. As shown, a top lift 30 is applied to the top-lift-receiving face to provide the heel with a suitable tread face.

In Figs. 1 and 2 my improved wedge heel is shown as being incorporated in a shoe comprising an upper 32, an insole 34 to which the lower margin of the upper is secured in overlasted position, a short outsole 36 having a forepart which is directly secured to the shoe bottom and having also a rear portion which underlies the shank portion of the heel and extends into the slot 24. The heel is shown as being attached to the shoe by means of nails 38 which extend through the insole 34 and through a reinforcing piece 40 which overlies the heel and shank portions of the insole. A sock lining 42 is applied to the upper side of the insole to cover the reinforcing piece 40 and the heads of the heel-attaching nails.

'Ihe outsole 36 has forepart and shank por tions only, these portions being adapted to underlie, respectively, the bottom and the shank portion I4 of the wedge heel. A small tab or tongue 44 extends rearwardly from the shank portion of the outsole in position to interfit within the slot 24 in the heel. 'I'he width of the tab 44 is somewhat less than that of the rear extremity of the outsole and narrow shoulders or edge faces 46, 46 are formed at opposite sides of the tab which abut the lateral margins of the breast face 22 at opposite sides of the slot 24. As shown, the tab 44 has an arcuate marginal contour but the dimension of the tab in the direction of the length of the shoe is somewhat less than the depth of the slot 24 to insure that the y edge of the tab will not seat against the curved bottom wall of the slot but that the shoulders 46 will bear against and form a tight joint with the heel breast face. The outsole 36 is further provided with a relatively thin flap or leaf 48 which is split from the grain or 'tread side of the sole and thus constitutes an integral part of the sole and which is employed as a covering for the breast face of the heel. The flap 48 is cemented to the breast face and trimmed so that its lateral edges are flush with the adjacent side surfaces of the heel and its lower edge abuts the upper face of the top lift 30, the latter being made to extend forwardly of the breast face an amount has been laid in place.

equal to the thickness of the sole iiap so that the' exposed surface of the flap and the front edge of the top lift will be flush after the sole flap The sole flap 48 being` firmly cemented to the heel breast, it will serve positively to hold the shoulders 46, together with the adjacent edge portions of the outsole, in place and will insure against possibility of the edge portions peeling away from the heel as they might if no sole flap were provided and cemented to the heel breast. Moreover, the use of the sole flap 48 as a breast covering contributes very materially to the stylish and attractive appearance of the shoe inasmuch as it provides a grain leather heel breast covering which is continuous with the tread face of the sole and which will ordinarily be of a finish which will contrast with that of the rest of the heel covering material.

In making the shoe, the heel may first be located and secured in place upon the shoe bottom and thereafter the short outsole may be applied,

the tab 44 being introduced into the slot in the heel and the shoulders 46, 46 of the outsole being butted against the heel breast so that the sole will be accurately located lengthwise of the shoe bottom and the rear portion of the sole properly located widthwise of the shank portion of the heel. Thus, it is practicable to employ outsoles which are precut to size although it may be desirable to cut the soles slightly oversize to allow for the performance of a sole edge trimming operation after the sole has been attached to the shoe. The outsole may be attached by cement by the use of a cement sole attaching press in a well-known manner.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A shoe having a rear part provided with a tread face and a Wedge heel and a short outsole, the wedge heel having a shank part the lower portion of which is cut away to provide a rearwardly and upwardly sloping outsole attaching surface, and said heel having also a low breast face extending downwardly from the rear of said attaching surface, said breast face having a slot formed with an upper side in line with said attaching surface and said short outsole being secured to the forepart of the shoe bottom and to said attaching face of the heel and extending into said slot.

2. A shoe having a short outsole and a one piece heel provided with a forward extension underlying the entire shank portion of the shoe bottom, said heel having a top-lift-receiving face and a breast face extending upwardly from said top-lift-receiving face to said extension and having a slot therein, and said extension having a lower surface sloping forwardly and downwardly from the upper extremity of said breast face, said short outsole having a forepart attached to the shoe bottom forwardly of said heel extension and a shank portion attached to said sloping heel surface and extending intosaid slot, and said outsole having a flap covering said heel breast ace.

3. In a shoe, a one piece wedge heel having a rear part and a shank part, `a short outsole having a forepart and a shank portion, the rear and a lower face coextensive with and attached to the shank portion of the outsole and sloping forwardly and downwardly from the upper extremity of said breast face, an extension on the shank part of the outsole interiitted within said slot, and a nap integral with the outsole covering said breast face.

4. In a shoe, a wedge heel having an upper surface coextensive with and attached to the heel and'shank portions of the shoe bottom, said heel comprising a rear portion having a tread face and a low breast face rising .from said tread face, and a shank portion having a lower face sloping forwardly and downwardly from the upper extremity of said breast face, said breast face having a notch located inwardly of the lateral edges of said face in the upper portion thereof and having an upper side alined with the lower face of said shank portion, a short outsole having a forepart attached to the forepart of the shoe bottom and a shank portion attached to the sloping lower face of the shank portion of said heel and having edge faces abutting said breast face at opposite sides of said notch, and a tongue between said edge faces interiitting within said notch.

5. A shoe having a wedge heel and a short outsole, said wedge heel comprising integral rear and shank portions attached to the heel seat and shank portions respectively of the shoe bottom, said rear portion having a tread face and a low breast face extending upwardly from said tread face, and said shank portion having a lower surface sloping downwardly and forwardly from the upper extremity of saidbreast face, and said short outsole being attached to the shoe bottom '"in the forepart of the shoe and-to said sloping surface of the heel and having a rear edge portion abutting said breast face, and a ap formed integrally with said outsole and covering the breast face of the heel.

6. A shoe having a wedge heel and a short outsole, said wedge heel having a tread face in its rear portion, a low breast face extending upwardly from the forward extremity of said tread face. and a sole-attaching face extending forwardly from the upper extremity of said breast face, and said breast face having a slot the upper side of which is flush withsaid sole-attaching face, and said short outsole having a forepart secured to the forepart of the shoe bottom and a shank portion secured to said attaching face and extending into said slot. '1. A wedge heel comprising a rear part adapted for attachment to the heel portion of a shoe bottom and a shank part adapted to underlie the shank portion of the shoe bottom throughout the full length of the latter. the lower portion of said shank part being cut away to provide a breast face upon the lower portion of said rear part, and a sole-attaching face extending from the upper extremity of said breast face to the forward extremity of the heel, said breast face having a slot therein positioned to receive the rear extremity of a short outsole secured to said solefattaching face.

8. A one piece wedge heel comprising a rear portion having a top-lift-receivlng face and a low breast face and a shank portion adapted to underlie the shank portion of a shoe bottom throughout the full length of the latter, said shank portion having a lower face sloping upwardly and rearwardly from the front extremity of the heel to said breast face and said breast face having a. slot formed in its upper portion for receiving a tab on an outsole secured to said sloping face. the opposite ends of said slot being spaced inwardly from the lateral edges of said breast face.

ANTHONY COCOZELLA.

-the Patent Office.

CER'I'IFICA-TE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,2%,.555. September 2, 1914.1.- ANTHONY COCOZELLA.

It is hereby certified that error appear-s in t'he printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correctionas follows: Page 2, second column, 1ines'59 claim l, strike outtne words "a rear part provided witha tread face and" and insert the seme` after "having" in `line h1, same claim; `and that the said Lettere Patent dlouldbe readwith this correction therein. that the same mayconform to the 4record of the case in signed ma sealed this 23th da; of october, A.D. 19in;

Henry Arsdale (Seal) Acting Commissioner. of Patents. 

